Fog and Drizzle

Last night there was the strangest confluence of cool earth and warm air which by 1 a.m. made a very thick fog...that was illuminated from above by an almost full moon. Looking out my bedroom window, i couldn't see the moon, but i could see that the fog was lit up, almost luminous. This morning i had to take Trucklette (my beloved Subaru Forester now with over 160,000 miles on it) to the garage for new front brakes and an oil change. The fog had started to condense and dissolve into a steady light drizzle. Much to my surprise, the world wasn't all muffled from the fog...it was alive with the sound of birds! As i walked home from the garage, i heard robins calling everywhere, and as i got near my house, i heard other birds everywhere. There was a big flock of juncoes just down the street and a mixed flock of starlings, robins, and gold finches flying into my tall cedar tree, settling for a moment to eat its berries, and then moving into the shelter of its branches.

Last night we held a memorial service for the 24-year old daughter of one of our congregation families. She was their only child. She was found dead in her apartment in a nearby town. It seemed like such a terrible waste of a young life. We are guessing that drugs and alcohol were involved. At tonight's service, our Rabbi read a piece from the Friday night service that just hit home, about the necessity of listening...listening to others who might be crying out for help, listening to others in need, listening to the voice of G*d. Her parents were right there, the first time they've attended regular services with us, and i wonder if these words cut to their hearts. They clearly had tried to do the best for their daughter, and then had to let her go to lead the life she insisted she wanted to live. But i'm betting they wished they had listened to her a bit more and not been put off by her tough and defiant facade.